Most of us enjoy our broadband connectivity through traditional methods of fixed (DSL, cable, fiber) or wireless (3G/4G, satellite, FWA). However, there remains a significant portion of the world’s population where those methods of connectivity are either impractical or simply too expensive to pursue ...

“But some of us haven’t even got 4G yet!” – were the first words spoken by my wife when I mentioned this article topic to her. Of course she’s right – the wife's always right! But seriously, isn't talking about 5G about as premature as getting excited that Tokyo are hosting the Olympic Games in 2020? And it's not because it's a secret; it's simply because, as yet, no-one really knows what it is. No one except, it seems, British Prime Minister David Cameron, who captured the headlines with his spin-heavy, hashtag-laden speech during the opening of CeBIT in Germany last year ..

In a recent conversation with Adrian Wooster, I was asked if we’re over analyzing the state of broadband connectivity. Are we spending too much time discussing the problem and not enough in solving it? I was thinking about this question again today as I researched some figures on the recently launched national broadband map. An ambitious tool that’s provoked heated discussion as to its effectiveness and how it can be used to move the state of the country’s broadband forward.

The term ‘networked nation’ was bandied about in 2010 with alarming regularity. Barely a month passed without government officials espousing the virtues of universal broadband and its associated economic and social benefits. But while many talked generalities and the promise of impressive data speeds, there were few who actually discussed roadmaps or key milestones. Even more alarming was the absence of education as a critical part in the rollout of universal broadband.

There are few questions guaranteed to elicit heated debate as the quality of your broadband connection. More than any other utility, broadband always seems to draw the widest opinion. Perhaps this is due to the geographical disparity of services or the differing cost-points of providers. However, the topic of broadband connectivity was once again thrust into the media spotlight this week with the publication of Oxford University’s annual broadband report.